Cold War Era Key Events and Concepts

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Cold War

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The US and the Soviet Union never directly confronted each other on the battlefield but deadly threats went on for years. Both sides built large numbers of nuclear weapons (arsenals).

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Berlin Airlift

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Soviet leader Joseph Stalin cut off the allied zones of West Berlin. US and Great Britain airlifted supplies to the people in Berlin through a strategic operation that allowed aircraft to land every three minutes.

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NATO

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North Atlantic Treaty Organization; a security alliance made to defend one another if they were attacked by any other country. Communist countries responded by forming the Warsaw Pact. It was the first time the US joined with nations of Europe for security.

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Korean War

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Caused when North Korea invaded South Korea hoping to create one communist country. The US aided South Korea and prevented the North from gaining control. The Koreas are still divided today at the 38th parallel - the exact location where they were divided before the war.

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Warsaw Pact

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An alliance between the Soviet Union and other Eastern European nations. This was in response to NATO.

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Sputnik

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America feared the Soviets became more technologically advanced and could use nuclear weapons against the US. The US formed NASA and increased funding for science and technology in American schools to keep up with the Soviets.

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Containment

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Limit the spread of communism and Soviet influence. This was the foreign policy of the US after World War II. The Berlin Airlift, NATO, and the Korean conflict were part of containment.

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Marshall Plan

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The US gave Europe billions of dollars to rebuild after the war and to encourage democracy, restore economic stability, and stop the spread of communism.

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HUAC

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The House Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC) was an investigating committee which investigated what it considered un-American propaganda.